I Thought You Should Know
by Rissa Havoc
Summary: With their wedding coming up, Shikamaru has a certain Rokudaime on his mind, and what their relationship really is. Stuck in between what is right in his mind and what is right in his heart, all he knows is that Ino has the right to know.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but if I did Shikamaru would be getting around tons!!

Summary: With their wedding coming up, Shikamaru has a certain Rokudaime on his mind, and what their relationship really is. Stuck in between what is right in his mind and what is right in his heart, all he knows is that Ino has the right to know.

**I thought you should know**

"Shikamaru," He heard a voice call to him softly, it was appearent that it was trying to break him out of his thought at the moment, but that voice was failing to do so. Thoughts just came flooding to the lazy genius, here he was eating a nice dinner with a blonde that got on every last one of his nerves when he was younger. _Now? what was different now,_ Shikamaru asked himself as he involuntarily took in another spoonful of his meal. He looked up for a moment at the person acoss from him and smiled a bit and then looked back down, as the thoughts of the many fights he backed out of with the blonde, because he thought that they all we're too troublesome to go through.

"Shikamaru, have you even heard anything that I have said," the blonde across from him asked in a rather irritated voice. Yes, she had known him for years, and yes they did get on each others nerves, but other than Sakura, this lazy man was her closet friend.

Shikamaru lazily hummed at Ino, hoping that she would take that as a yes he was listening to her. Although in all reality, he wasn't he was lost in his thoughts once again, this was the thrid night in row that he has shared with someone who in his younger years irritated him to no end. He didn't mean to tune Ino out, but if he was to reveal to her what he was really thinking about he knew what the outcome would be, for it played in his head over and over again.

b i "**_How could you even think of him in that sense," Ino yelled loudly hoping that it would bring sense to her friends mind. They had been friends for years, and all Ino has ever known was that Naruto annoyed Shikamaru to no end, and that their realtionship was possibly more than friendship. She loved Shikamaru, even though over and over again she would claim and undying love of Sasuke, she would never stick her neck out for the Uchiha, but Nara on the other hand. The second Shikamaru told her to do something she would obey, but then again if Shikamaru was in danger and he told her to run away, she would stay in her spot._**

_**"Ino, I really don't know, maybe that has been why I've kept my mouth shut this entire evening. It just happened," that was his only reply, for the first time that evening he looked up at Ino and saw angry tears stream her eyes. Those tears made guilt come up into Shikamaru quickly, now he wished that he could take back that kiss he gave her years ago, her first kiss and his alike. He was in love with the both of them, but unfortunatly in two completely different way. Yes he would protect Ino to know end, but then again he would do the same for Naruto but on a different level. He would never die for Ino, but for Naruto he would and that wasn't because he was the Rokudaime. It was for a very different reason, a reason that he couldn't, he shouldn't, and wouldn't reveal to anyone, not even Ino.**_

_**"These things just don't happen," Ino yelled loudly hoping to get a reaction, but she watched as Shikamaru just simply sat there. She noticed that Shikamaru had not once looked up at her the entire evening, and she gripped the ends of the table. Shaking her head slowly and sighed quietly, "you love him don't you??"**_

_**"Yes, but that doesn't mean that I love you any less," Shikamaru looked up at Ino for the first time that evening, and now was time for the next reveal of the night. "I visited Temari, for advice on this situation and she told me that I should just tell you, but unfortunately I didn't do it immediately and I ran straight to Naruto, and that has where I've been for the past two days."**_

_**"Do you love me," Ino asked simply, and she heard another sigh from him, and then a chuckle.**_

_**"More than you know, but not as much as him," Shikamaru said, and with that he heard a bit of a sob come from Ino. He looked up once more to see that Ino was full out crying now, the sight made his heart sank. "Ino, can you understand what I am saying to you? I don't love you any less, you just don't hold the same place as Naruto, and for that I am sorry."**_

_**She nodded slowly and sighed, "I understand more than you know, Shikamaru."**_

He looked up at Ino, and sighed, he had to do it, there was no other option for him. He needed to know, he needed to know if Ino loved him enough to let him go, if she loved him enough to understand that they can't be anymore than what they are now. Shikamaru nodded and looked up at Ino, and then he spoke quietly, "Ino, I think that there is something that you should know."

Ino looked up at Shikamaru, and her eyetwitched slightly, none of what she had said had gotten through to him. Here she was sitting here going on about their future together and there he was off in his own world. Had their impending wedding meant nothing to him, or was he just being his usual self. All she knew was that Shikamaru was distant all night, and so she brought he twitching eye under control, "what is it Shika?"

He sighed once and then looked up slowly at Ino sadly, and spoke in a rather sad voice, "I can't do it." He watched he blink slowly and he bit his lip lightly, as he watched he irritated face become angry.

"I'm sorry I must have misuderstood you, did you just say you 'can't do it,'" Ino asked slowly trying to hide her anger, but losing the battle against herself. "What is it you can't do?"

"Marry you," was all Shikamaru said, before he got up and picked up his plate and walked into the kitchen to clean his empty plate. As planned he heard the footsteps quickly behind him, he knew that this was going to be rather difficult, but then he also knew that this had to be done. How long could he keep up the charade of seeing Naruto, and sharing the most intimate of moment with him and then come home and cuddle with his wife, Ino? _Not long,_was his answer to himself and also Temari's answer to him, the sand nin knew him too well.

"Why," Ino asked standing right behind him, biting her lip and fist cleached tightly. She knew she was not going to like the answer and had her fist prepared.

"I don't love you, I love someone else."

"Who is she?!"

"Not she," Shikamaru looked down at the dish he placed in the sink, and he heard a gasp from Ino. He shut his eyes tightly, and then continued with the dish still speaking to her distantly. "Its not a she, but rather he," he stopped for a moment turned the water off and turn back around towards Ino. "I am in love with a man, not just any man...but the...Hokage."

"What? H-how," Ino couldn't understand, she had known both Naruto and Shikamaru for years. They got on each other's nerves, she blinked some more and then her answer came and she nodded. Every mission Shikamaru had gone on was a direct request for the Rokudaime, and Naruto, the Rokudaime was ever present for each mission. "Those mission, aren't what I thought they were..were they?"

Shikamaru nodded slowly, and he sighed, "I still love you Ino, just not the way you want me to love you anymore. You were my first love, and you always will be. I just can't love you the way that you want me to love you, I hope you can understand."

Ino said nothing but simply nodded, she understood all too well, for when Shikamaru first reveal his love for her, it was when Sasuke had first left and her heart still bled for the Uchiha. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in years she felt the tears behind her eyes and she felt them stream down her face. Suddenly she felt a new warmth on her face, and she leaned into it, she felt the tears being wiped a way and small kiss of her cheek. She opened her eyes to see that ever caring young man she fell for not too long ago, and she sighed, "so this is it?"

Shikamaru nodded and let go of Ino face with a sigh, and he turned for the door. "I have to go Ino, I promised that I would go see him tonight." With that he left her in the middle of the kitchen, her face tear stained and her heart broken.


End file.
